98 JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. { February 3, mi. 
lias in view—namely, the production of the largest quantity of 
honey in supers.—B. & W. 
PACKING BEES FOR LONG VOYAGES. 
DO THEY NEED A DAMP ATMOSPHERE ? 
Mr. M. H. Matthews, in the Journal of January 20th, asks 
me to give some explanation of the utility of water as supplied to 
bees during their transit to New Zealand, and kindly adds some 
quotations from a journal of our antipodean colony, in reference 
to which, beside doing my best to answer his theory, I desire to 
make a remark or two, as the questions involved touch the whole 
economy of the hive more thoroughly than at first sight appears. 
The device of wet sponge, by the assistance of which the bees 
were at length carried successfully to New Zealand, is not new, as 
the southern paper quoted states, which may be seen by referring 
to the Journal of Horticulture of June 3rd, where in an article 
entitled “ Transporting Bees to India,” I thus explained it— 
“ During 1878 and 1879 I sent two stocks and two nuclei via the 
Red Sea to Bombay ; the bees after their unshipment had a further 
journey into the interior, entailing an incarceration of nearly forty 
days before they reached their then owner, an Indian gentleman 
of distinction. The nuclei carried each, four of my half Wood¬ 
bury frames, as used by me formerly for queen-raising. These 
were well stored with sugar, while the backs of the boxes con¬ 
tained pouches cut off from the bees by perforated zinc, and into 
these pouches sponges filled with water were occasionally put 
during the voyage. Perforated zinc covered the frames above, 
while the boxes were made 2 inches deeper than accommodation 
of the frame required. No other precautions were taken except 
that the combs were well fixed and the frames secured against 
lateral sway. Both nuclei arrived in capital condition.” 
The southern editor mistakes altogether the use of the sponge 
when he says, “ it appears to have secured that cool and moist 
atmosphere necessary for bees.” The water is really required for 
drinking. When honey is first gathered it is perfectly limpid, 
and then contains so much water that it is both food and drink, 
but after it has been some time stored the high temperature eva¬ 
porates much of its fluid, and the inspissated mass is ready for 
sealing over. When bees are obtaining abundance of fresh nectar 
they do not require water, but it becomes a necessity if they are 
forced to feed on evaporated honey. During very cold weather, 
however, when they could not gather it, by a most interesting 
adaptation they do not need it ; for their large quantities of honey 
are consumed to generate heat, and the carbon of the saccharine 
matter undergoes combustion, or more properly oxidation, the 
residue (consisting of hydrogen and oxygen) being freed in the 
form of water ; so that actually the dry sugar of the honey becomes 
a water-former, while in addition the quantum of aqueous matter 
which even evaporated honey contains is put at the disposal of 
the bee3. This will explain why some say bees need water, and 
others strongly assert the contrary. 
I quite agree with Mr. Matthews that the New Zealanders have 
seen the advantages of Ligurians through a magnifying glass. 
That they are valuable bees we all are agreed, but after much 
painstaking comparison I do not believe that they raise grubs 
more uninterruptedly during the twelve months than do the 
blacks, although on the whole the former are without doubt more 
prolific than the latter. Bees will occasionally, if well cared for, 
breed here during the very severest weather. A few months since 
I gave an instance in the Journal of evidences of egg-laying and 
brood-raising being continued in most of my hives both by blacks 
and Ligurians on December 19th and 20th of 1879, most intensely 
bitter days. And further in their favour Ligurians are when pure 
very generally of mild temper, while their greater beauty increases 
the pleasure of possessing them, but they persistently cross, and 
so will I fear doom to disappointment the expressed hope that the 
yellow-banded will soon become as common as the black variety, 
unless indeed the yellow blood be kept up by continuous new im¬ 
portations. But though this hope may fail the crossing will greatly 
improve the stock, intensifying it in all directions, not excluding 
unhappily its disposition to sting. In a big apiary no doubt any 
special characteristic may be increased or decreased as desired, 
even in the absence of controlled fertilisation by continually raising 
queen cell3 from the eggs of that queen, stocks of which seem to 
present in a most marked degree the features we are seeking. I 
make it a rule to get rid of any queen whose progeny are disagree¬ 
ably ferocious, notwithstanding the fact that they may be excel¬ 
lent in some other points.— Frank R. Cheshire, Avenue House , 
Acton, W. 
TRADE CATALOGUES RECEIVED. 
Kelway & Son, Langport, Somerset .—Manual for 1881 ( Illustrated ). 
William Fell & Co., Hexham, Northumberland .—Spring Seed List, 
1881. 
The General Horticultural Company (John Wills), Limited.— 
Catalogue of Flower and Vegetable Seeds, Fruit Trees, and Roses. 
John Cattell, Westerham, Kent .—Catalogue of Flower and Vege¬ 
table Seeds. 
C. Pocock, Wincanton, Somerset .—Catalogue of Flower and Vege¬ 
table Seeds. 
S. Dixon & Co., 34, Moorgate Street, and at Hackney .—Catalogue 
oj Flower and Vegetable Seeds. 
William Rumsey, Waltham Cross .—Catalogue of Floicer and Vege¬ 
table Seeds. 
Wm. Cutbush & Son .—Catalogues of Flower and Vegetable Seeds, and 
Stove and Greenhouse Plants. 
John George Hill, Yeovil .—Catalogue of Flower and Vegetable 
Seeds. 
Robert H. Poynter, Castle Gate, Taunton .—Catalogue of Floiver 
and Vegetable Seeds. 
J. T. Rofe, Cecil Road, New Town, Enfield .—Catalogue of Floiver 
and Vegetable Seeds. 
W. P. Laird A Sinclair, Dundee .—Catalogue of Vegetable and Flower 
Seeds. 
Kerr & Fotheringham, Dumfries .—General Catalogue. 
Books (A Learner). —The following would no doubt meet your require¬ 
ments :—The Greenhouse Manual,” published at this office, price 9 d., post 
free, lOtf.; and Mr. B S. Williams’ two volumes on “Stove and Greenhouse 
Elowering and Fine-foliaged Plants,” published at the Victoria and Paradise 
Nurseries, price 5s., or post free 5s. 5d. each. ( E. S. 11 .).—We do not know of 
any book that will exactly meet your requirements ; the best probably is Kemp's 
“ How to Lay Out a Garden,” published by Messrs. Bradbury Agnew, & Co., 
Bouverie Street, London. 
Liliums from Seed (Devonian). —The time that elapses between the sow¬ 
ing of the seed and | the flowering of the plants varies somewhat in different 
species, and is governed also to some extent by the mode of culture adopted. 
You do not state the species you are desirous of raising from seed ; but we shall 
shortly publish a record of the experience of a cultivator who has raised and 
flowered plants of L. auratum from seed, and who has seedlings of some other 
species that are approaching the flowering stage. 
Climbers for Trellis (Reader ).—As you require annuals for covering the 
space quickly and temporarily, we think you can do better than send to a 
seedsman for packets of the best varieties of Tropmolum Lobbianum. T. peregri- 
num (the Canary Creeper) would also be suitable, as would the varieties of Con¬ 
volvulus major. The Tropreolums you name are not annuals, and would not be 
likely to cover the space so quickly as you desire. The Tacsonias are readily 
raised from seed and grow quickly, but they do not flower freely except from 
cuttings, nor are they annuals; neither is Eccremocarpus scaber, which flowers 
from seed the first year if the plants are raised early. Such annuals as those 
just named would probably answer your purpose best, also Sweet Peas if the 
house is a light one. 
Bulbs Frozen (An Alarmed Contributor ).—You need be under no appre¬ 
hension regarding the failure of your Hyacinth beds, even if the bulbs were only 
covered 3 inches deep in November.” No doubt, as you suppose, the frost pene¬ 
trated to a greater depth than that; still we are confident, if you examine the 
bulbs carefully, you will find them firm with healthy roots, and the crown growth 
fresh and satisfactory. Bulbs planted very late, and which do not emit roots 
before winter, are much more liable to injury than those that were established 
before the occurrence of severe weather by having been planted at the right time. 
You must not, however, dig up the bulbs to examine them. If you partially clear 
the soil from around one without in the slightest degree injuring its roots, we 
feel sure you will find it healthy, and you may take it as a type of the rest, and 
wait patiently for your “ feast of flowers.” 
Vines in Pots (A. Lawson ).—As the canes are no thicker than an “ordi¬ 
nary penny pencil,” you had better cut them down at once to a good bud just 
above the surface of the soil, and insure a strong fruiting cane for another year. 
If you attempt forcing them now you will obtain no fruit from them either this 
year or next. Keep them cool for two or three weeks after cutting them down, then 
place them in a very light position in a house having a minimum temperature of 
50“, increasing the heat as the growth advances, and shifting into larger pots when 
the shoots are a few inches in length, and securely affixed to stakes, watering the 
Vines very carefully after they have been repotted. They will then form strong 
canes early in the season, and be matured before late autumn, and be in good 
condition for bearing next year. 
Climbers in Boxes (II. F. Foy ).—The very strong growth made by your 
Habrothamnus and Tacsouia indicates -that the roots may have passed through 
the bottom of the box into the soil below ; in that case the plants cannot be 
removed without receiving a considerable check, but if all the roots are within 
the box we think you may divide the plants without hindering them from 
flowering this year. Assuming that there is some space between the two plants, 
we should cut the soil and roots with a sharp spade or other more suitable imple¬ 
ment, and remove the plants with the squares of soil adhering to their roots, and 
place them in the desired positions. As they produce roots freely they would 
sooner recover from the check received by removal than they would were you 
to try and preserve all the roots of each plant by disentangling them and 
separating the soil from them, as you must do in the process. Water the plants 
sufficiently, yet judiciously, after removal, and syringe them occasionally if the 
weather is bright and warm. This advice is given on the assumption that the 
box is crowded with roots. 
